


Gone

by ty_madison



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Driving, M/M, butch betty cooper, kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-10-31 16:15:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17852939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ty_madison/pseuds/ty_madison
Summary: Archie has tried to get his life back together, thinking he could never get home. But one to hot day and a sleeveless shirt, has him driving home.





	Gone

In five years Archie hadn’t done much more than get his GED, get graduated a community college with a shit-tonne of debt and only been able to get an awful job in a small grocery store in South-side Chicago. He had issues while in college, people not understanding why he avoided taking relationship further than friendship, and why he seemed to avoid talking about where he was from. And he knew most people would assume anything about his life.

While getting the job had been easy, no one wanted to work there and for good reason he later worked out. At first it had been hard, people would push him and try to steal stuff from the store. But it stopped suddenly when in the middle of summer he had walked in, clad in shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt. 

A guy, who was the worst for pushing things, was standing bothering the boy who had taken opening shift. He turned mouth open and ready to start on him when his eyes darted to the tattoo stark against the pale skin of his upper arm. And Archie was sure he heard the hinge of his jaw snap shut. And hands went right out in front of him, “I didn’t know man! Shit I didn’t know!” The noise of both coins and notes hit the counter and he bolted. 

Raising an eyebrow and looking at the boy behind the counter, who looked just as confused as Archie was. And all Archie could do was look down at the outfit he was wearing, there was nothing odd about what he was wearing. And turning to the boy he went to ask what it could be and saw exactly where his eyes stuck too. It was that one tattoo he had, one that had saved his life in an odd way but also caused him to loose the one he had wanted. 

“You…” the boy whispered and swallowed, “You seemed so nice.” A quick head shake,”But it makes sense that you talk about yourself.” The boy slipped the apron over his head and handed it over, a small smile on his face. “But maybe we will get less guns pointed in our faces.” 

Archie just nodded at him slipped the apron over his head and got ready for the most dull shift of the day. It was just him till the owner came in from six till closing. Hoping that maybe an occasional customer may actually talk to him. 

But two hours in and Archie was bored out of his skull, he just had the normal junkies coming in buying the cheapest beer they stocked and candy. Occasional kids coming in and buying gum. It was mind numbing and he could feel the sweat building up under his arms, all due his boss being to cheep to put in more than a feeble fan; which only blew slightly less hot air in his face. 

It was an hour till Archie got to go back to his tiny oven hot apartment. Got to enjoy a discounted TV dinner and spend a few hours watching whatever was minding interesting on TV. It really wasn’t how he planned his life but it was all he had. 

Going back to Riverdale wasn’t safe for him, his family or his friends. It wasn’t safe until Hiram Lodge was dead and his spiderweb of crime was gone. And even if Archie was sure it would happen eventually, he didn’t know if he would be able to fit back into his boy-next-door slot in life. He knew he would be able to go back, but he would end up living South Side. He was too used to living that way and felt less pressure there. 

The noise of the door opening had him looking up and seeing a guy he hadn’t before. Which wasn’t uncommon, but the way he was dressed was. A leather jacket and the smell of bike oil, it reminded him so much of Jughead and his stomach twisted. Out of everything he missed, Jughead was second after his parents. It had taken him till his second year of college to realise the way he missed and craved Jughead wasn’t normal of a plan old friendship. 

He led himself realise that he had destroyed every relationship he had because of his feelings for Jug that he wasn’t ready to accept. 

The guy walked over to the cooler not even looking at him and Archie didn’t look further than when he walked through the door. Going back to tapping away at his very slow, outdated and slightly smashed iPhone. 

A cough had him looking up at the guy. A plastered a smile on his face and went through the normal conversation he had with customers he didn’t know. While he was putting the cash in the register, he felt a large hand grab his arm and pull him sideways towards the counter. “Thought it was a lie, Thought I knew all Serpents around here.” Archie could hear his heart in his throat. There was a chance that he was someone who hated Serpents and Archie was going to be killed for this tattoo. 

“Where you from Red?” And Archie knew that it was best not to lie. 

So he looked the guy dead in the eyes, “Riverdale. South Side Serpents.” His voice reminded him of when he had first came here, why his boss had hired him. Rough and intimidating.

A slow nod was all he got. A the was pulled out and he heard the waiting call noise. The guy seemed to be dragging his eyes up and down what he could see, as if waiting to try and describe him to whoever was on the other side of the phone. 

“Hey. Yeah, it’s me.” The guy spoke. “Got a possible Serpent here…No I don’t know him…Says he’s from your way.” He could hear a voice muted through the phone. could only tell it was a female from the pitch. “Six foot, pale, got a few scars on his face.” A huff had him locking eyes with the guy, “Red hair.” 

Within a second the phone was thrust at him. He looked down at it and back at the guy, who rolled his eyes, “Take it. I don’t want to hear her shout at me even more.” 

Taking a deep breath and placing his phone to his ear, “IE ANDREWS! You are lucky I’m not there to ring your neck! We have been trying to find you for months! Me and TT have been everywhere! Contacting all the Serpents we could!” he pulled the phone further from his ear and realised he could still hear Cheryl clearly. “You better get back to Riverdale! It’s been safe for a year!” The voice cut out for a second and holding the phone back to his ear, she whispered. “We’ve been worried Archiekins.” Then it went dead. 

He was left with either feeling guilty or doing what he should. 

—————

The next day he found himself sitting in his truck, Vegas older and slower now sat at his side. Tired and happy eyes looking out the window, all of Archies small amount of belongings were strapped down in the bed of the truck. 

It was a long drive and he wouldn’t be able to stop much on the way there, but to let Vegas out to pee and himself too. 

The drive was dull the radio hadn’t worked in a few years so all he had was the rush of wind through the windows and the occasional bark of Vegas as he saw other dogs and cows on their drive. Pulling over he looked down at his phone, knowing he should call someone and let them know that he was about three hours out. 

But the issue was he wasn’t sure who to call or if they even had the same numbers. And it’s when it hit him, Pop’s. He could call there and see if anyone he knew was there. 

So he stood back resting against the slowly heating metal door, and made that call. It rang twice before he heard the mellow voice of Pop. Asking who was calling. It was fast when he spoke. Pop asked him how he was and if he was okay. Much like a grandfather who phoned every week just to hear the dull details of school. But it was what he needed it had been years since he had that. 

“Is there anyone there who I could talk to? Like Betty or…” He didn’t even get to finish when Pop answered, “Jughead is here.” 

A deep breath and he said it, “Sure. Put him on.”

He could hear Pop shout across the dinner and the noise of the phone swapping hands, the way that Jug sighed down the phone hadn’t changed and it made Archies stomach flip. 

“What’s happening Fangs? I’m not bailing you out again.” Archie knew that with the tone of Jugs voice that he wouldn’t stick to that. 

Archie huffed out a laugh and heard a sucked in breath, he just felt like Jug had a small idea about who was calling. “Was just wanting to say three hours and I’m home Jug.” Listening as Jughead took multiple attempts at trying to talk back, “So I’ll see you at Pops, make sure you have a shake ready for me.” And he hung up. 

His heart was fluttering. He could hear how Juggies voice drawled over words, exactly how he remembered and had at times fantasised about hearing in the bedroom. Letting Vegas do a quick walk around and then helped him back, laughed as Vegas seemed to get more excited the longer they drove. Like he knew that he was finally getting to go home. 

——————

The sign came up sooner than he expected. 

He kept driving. Looking out the window. Looking at Riverdale, it hadn’t changed much but he did see more Serpents. But even then that wasn’t shocking. If Hiram was gone so would the Ghoulies and most people who worked for him. 

Bright neon lights shone ahead shone through the windshield. A collection of bikes and cars were around the diner, he knew some of them from his time before leaving. He didn’t let himself forget a single one of them. 

Pulling up and he saw the door swing open and a body fly out the door. Followed by two others, as if they had been waiting in silence for the sound of an engine. He slowly parked, rolled up his windows and didn’t look over at the three people waiting on the steps up to Pops; as if looking at them would break him in seconds. Which he also knew was true. 

Stepping out of the car, he looked at Vegas who was sleeping and felt better leaving him there. So he walked. Slow and steady, keeping his eyes down on the ground watching as he took each step. And it’s when he saw the concrete step. The two pairs of Docs and a pair of white sneakers, that he actually looked up. 

It was the bright eyes looking at him, the same curve of a mouth and he had an armful of Jughead. How he smelt the same and seemed a little more muscular, but it was Jug. Hands tugged him back and he was only a milli-second or eye contact when he felt lips on his. Ones he had dreamed of and wanted for years. 

Gentle and barely there was the only way to describe it. 

Archie heard the “Finally.” Come from Veronicas mouth and he looked at her. She hadn’t changed a day, still neatly dressed and happy. 

Betty had changed a lot in their time apart. Oil was smudged across her cheek, hair cut short and pushed back and the tension that was constantly there before just wasn’t. It seemed in the time he had been gone they had all changed for the better. And he couldn’t lie because he had too, he had got over the pain of being sexually abused by his teacher and forcing the feeling he had for men down. 

——————

Long conversations happened over cake and beer. How Betty had accepted who she was and loved working at the garage with The Serpents, how even though Veronica owned several small businesses in Riverdale she couldn’t stop working her few shifts a Pops. Juggie had become the leader of the Serpents with Cheryl as his second. 

It was good. And it helped that Jugs hand never left him. Always on his thigh or clutching his hand.

**Author's Note:**

> Archie should just be able to be single for a bit, get his shit together and then date. Just ffs.


End file.
